How Far Can You Really Run?
by ScarlettAnderson99
Summary: A girl with a dark past wants nothing more than a bright future. She thought she had too, until she decides to come through on an old promise. And then it all catches up to her, in one way or another...
1. Chapter 1

Leaves crunched under her feet as she walked down the path. She was on her way to Riften. Every cell in her body screamed at her to get far away from that place, but the only way to redeem herself was lying beyond those gates. As quests go, it was a fairly simple one. But Lana had a way of making things complicated.

A few weeks back, her very best friend, an apprentice at the college of Winterhold, had seen her using Transmute. It was a fairly complicated spell but she needed money and a spell which turned iron to gold accomplished that. Her friend, Giana, asked her why she was ever using such a complicated spell at 2 AM on the highest balcony of the college. Lana would not tell her, not wanting to reveal how she got the spell (illegally) and said it was nothing.

Lana then set off to Whiterun to make the gold into rings and sell them. There, she saw an old acquaintance who asked again for a favor. To find a tablet in bleak falls barrow. That is where the story begins.

Lana walked through the barrow, she had tried this months ago when she had first met the jarl, just after she escaped from Helgen. She had almost died and as a result she ran. This then became her normal pattern. She'd try and help someone, hit a hard place, leave and never look back. She preferred little, miscellaneous favors.

Since then she has faced many draugr and was less afraid of them. As she entered a large room, she easily took down a draugr and grabbed the dragon tablet, she smiled. 'Back to Whiterun' she thought. But suddenly she became aware of a low deep chanting. She turned around and behind her she saw it.

Behind her was a wall covered in strange markings. She walked towards it and it was as though the world went black and only that word was visible. The chanting became deafening and suddenly it all stopped. The word was still there, but it stopped glowing and was simply faded onto the wall like every other carving. She stated at it for awhile until she heard draugr approaching and ran.

She was running from tree to tree. She wasn't sure why she agreed to this but it was stupid.

"You cannot hide from me!" The voice of the dragon yelled. Her 2 companions, incredibly brave women, were fighting the dragon and getting scalded in the process. One of them,lydia,went on a few quests with her and Lana had saved her life a few times and vice versa. Bit a dragon...no.

As the dragon turned her way, she used her whirlwind sprint shout to blast away. But apparently she needed more practice, because she ended up directly where she didn't want to be, two feet away from the dragon.

"Ah so it's a real fight now is it?" The dragon roared. Lana rolled her eyes in a very sassy fashion and said

"Oh screw it". With that she took out her great sword and started chopping at the dragon, it couldn't turn to burn her without burning itself. The dragon soon died and she absorbed its soul. She breathed a sigh of relief. 'Gone' she thought happily. After promising to meet Delphine, the one who asked her to do this in the first place, she left. The dragon bones and scales were heavy and she asked Lydia to carry them. Lydia made some sarcastic comment along the lines of " I would be overjoyed to my thane!"

She and Lydia traveled straight to Winterhold, only meeting a few wolves along the way, and Lana quickly deposited the scales in her drawer. As she grabbed a new set of clothes her friend, Giana, approached her.

"Where the hell have you been?! I find you practicing advanced alteration spells in the middle of the night! You say it's nothing and then proceed to disappear for days with some strange armored women in tow?!"

Lana sighed"Giana I'm sorry but I can't tell you. Don't worry about it. I'm fine nothing bad is happening its all good"

"No it's not all good you have proven I can't trust you! Why won't you just tell me?" Giana asked sounding genuinely heartbroken.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

"You can stay here. Treat it as a school not a hotel from which you can come and go as you please."

"I can't do that. I'm sorry. Is there anything else? Anything at all?" Lana asked desperately. Giana thought for a minute.

"In Riften there is an amulet that one can only wear in the presence of those they are loyal to. Those that can trust them. If they wear it in front of one they have or will betray, it will burn them. Return here with that amulet and wear it in front of me, in front of the whole college. Then I'll forgive you. If you can't then leave and don't come back."

Lana cringed. It just had to be Riften, she hated Riften. But Giana was a good friend. She refused to lose her. And so she set off to Riften, knowing nothing good would happen there,to get the amulet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys first, i don't own anything. second, I hope you enjoy. please review**

"Well this sucks. I can't believe she made me go here. Of all places. Actually Markarth would be worse. Seriously, it's beautiful there and I adore the architecture but everything there's a conspiracy. It's all a conspiracy man!" Lana talked to herself like she had learned to do on long journey's that she go's alone. She had left Lydia behind. She had worked hard to bury her past and if anything was gonna dig it up it was going to Riften. So she made sure to leave every part of her new life in Whiterun and Winterhold and basically everywhere but Riften. She walked along humming quietly to herself for a minute before the walls of the all too familiar Riften came into view. As she got to the gate the guard stopped her

"Hey! You need to pay a fine to get through the gates!" he said pushing her stared at him incredulously

"Why on earth do I have to pay?"she asked him

"To see the majesty of the city of course!"

"Alright well I've been here before and I know two things. One, the city is not majestic in any way. Two this is obviously a scam. Let me in now" she said to him. He chuckled

"Alright can't blame me for trying. Go on in" he opened the gates and she laid eyes on where she grew up for the first time in 2 years.

As she walked in the gates she was met by the biggest, scariest guy she had ever seen.

"Hey. The names Maul. What brings you to Riften?" He asked her. She knew he wasn't one to mess with. Unfortunately for her, when she gets nervous, she chatters.

"Oh wow your big and scary. I'm just here for reasons. I kinda pissed off a friend and so she said that I had to...er...collect something for her before she would forgive me. And I kinda live with her,like we're roommates. And so I don't really have a home until I get it done. Hopefully I'll only be in town for a few days" she finished saying this and gasped for breath.

"Alright well, mind your business and you should only be here as long as you planned. Otherwise..."

She looked at him for a minute. She had been caught off guard before. However, now her real self was back, the one that rather enjoyed making others uncomfortable. She sometimes wondered if the reason she did this was some weird animalistic dominance instinct. But she tried not to dwell on it. She saw Maul had left the sentence hanging and took her opportunity.

"I'm sorry otherwise what? You got trailed off there for a moment sir. You must have been thinking about something interesting!" She said this in her sweetest and most naive voice. His face went blank. "

It was a threat." He said flatly. She chuckled at his face. She realized half way through his threat that he was working with a recruiter for the thieves guild and she decided to leave their sights for put a hand to her chest in worry.

"Oh sir. Don't worry I won't cause any trouble at all I promise. Trust me if you want me to say we never met then yeah we never ever met!" She said this all in one frantic breath. He just sighed and pushed her along

"Yeah I wish we had never met" he mumbled. She frowned. 'That was a tad rude' she thought. And with that she set off to the bee and barb. She watched out of the corner of her eye and saw Maul make eye contact with a man boasting miracle potions. Maul shook his head slightly and turned away. 'Looks like I've got my recruiter. Now I just need to get him alone'.

She rented a room and lid down on the bed staring at the ceiling. She knew for a fact that the recruiter had his own chambers in the thieves guild. He had arrived there a day before she left. She remembered him she just prayed he didn't remember her. She knew where the room was and was pretty sure she could sneak into it undetected.

That was when she heard the window open and someone walk in so silently that only she could possibly detect it. She sat there for a moment in the dark, her back to the intruder. Whoever they were they took nothing, which meant they were there for her. There incredible silence suggested they were a pretty good thief, this a high-ish ranking member of the guild. Which meant they either do this to every newcomer or they were onto her. She and the unnamed thief stayed in silence for about an hour before whoever it was left. She then slept the remaining hours till daylight and hoped to sneak into the guild to question the recruiter on the location of he amulet, he would be the most likely to know.


	3. Chapter 3

**So... here's another chapter. Um... i'm not gonna force you guys but...could SOMEONE leave a review? please?**

The next day she packed a harmless looking messenger bag with her necessary armor and set out in a regular old street dress. She went to the market and mulled about for a while watching the phony vender for a bit. After a while she left but remained in the shadows undetected.

The red-haired man left towards the secret entrance to the guild after a while. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to enter through that entrance without being detected, she made her way down to the ratway. Then she quickly changed into her armor and entered the tunnels.

As she walked her feet were soundless. As she rounded a corner,she came to the door of the ragged flagon. Upon seeing this, she was lost in thought.

"Lana! This young man is new here. Show him his bed in the cistern and then provide him with armor." "Yes da...sir" "And Lana. You and your brother are to work the autumnshade job. Don't get in his way."

She shook her thoughts from her head and pushed open the door. Walking in as if she owned the place. She walked right through and headed towards to cistern. A big, burly man stopped her

"Where do you think you're going little lady?" He asked with a smirk. She looked him straight in the eyes and asked in her sweetest voice

"Can you let me in please? I promise not to break anything" she then watched as his resolve melted. He stepped aside and said

"Okay but we never met right?" She smiled and agreed that they had never met before stepping into the cistern. Her father and brother had always been fans of intimidation. But her mother had taught her the importance of persuasion and now there was hardly anything she couldn't get from people. She hadn't even used her money in a while, which she guessed was only really a step away from stealing but at least the merchant have it to her willingly. Only one man was in the cistern and he was strode confidently into the room of the man she had picked on the street. She wasn't sure who was actually highest command but she was hoping she wouldn't need them.

She approached the bed soundlessly. She had casted a muffle spell on herself just before she entered the room, which helped. As she walked up to the bed she felt a knife slide around her and was held just in front of her throat. A man whispered in her ear

"Don't you dare make a move. Who are you?" He spun her around to face him, keeping the knife in place. She stared stubbornly over his shoulder.

"I said who are you. I would advise you to reply"

"I don't consort with thieves" she said flatly. 'At least not in a while' she thought. He chuckled

"You talk a big game for someone who's obviously afraid of us. You won't even look me in the eye" him saying this set off her temper. She moved her head to make direct eye contact with him for a minute before saying.

"I am not afraid if you, I am disgusted by you" by this time the man in the bed had made his way over to them. He had woken up when the man had walked in but had taken his time getting over there. Clearly he trusted that she wouldn't get away from him.

"Mercer, what are you doing in my room? Who is this?" The red-headed man asked. Mercer (the man with the knife) turned to him and said

"That's what I would like to know Brynjolf. How about you help me loosen her tongue?" He spun his knife expertly. When Brynjolf asked

"What time is it?" Mercer looked exasperated.

"Does it matter?" "He's coming soon isn't he?" Mercer was silent. He nodded and looked at Lana. She could tell he was trying to decide something. She didn't want to know what though.

"Who's he?" She asked cautiously. Mercer grinned.

"Sweetheart, as someone who's afraid of thieves, he's your worst nightmare. Brynjolf how about we let him teach her not to get lost in here again." She grimaced at him calling her sweetheart.

"Just tell me who he is!"

"He's a nightingale. A strong nightingale. Heard of them?" He asked sarcastically. Recently a book had been circulating about nightingales and almost everyone had read it. They worked directly under nocturnal, they were the best of the best. She was gonna scream. She had to suppress the urge to run. She would face both men and get away. She could right? She knew for a fact the bigger they are the harder they fall.

"Let me go now. Please. I'll do anything just let me go before he gets here I'm begging you." Both men looked taken aback. They hadn't assumed she was the kind to beg. Ever. That's when all three heard clearly intentional footsteps.

"Hello? I'm here and I've got an excessive amount of stuff to sell. Including dragon scales...if you've got any use for that. I can't really imagine you would." Lana shut her eyes tight hearing his all too familiar voice. Their last reunion a woman had died, the time before that 2 guards had been killed and 2 men had ended up in jail. Where they went pain followed. The same was true when they were apart but it was less lethal. That was when he entered. He stopped and dropped his bag when he saw her.

"Lana" he breathed.

"Hi Luke" she replied silently

"What up sis?"


	4. Chapter 4

"You know each other?" Mercer asked, lowering his knife when Luke gave him a look that clearly said 'put it down'

"He's my brother." Lana said simply. She turned to Luke

"I see you finally made nightingale. Good for you."

"There's always a place for you in the guild Lan"

"Don't call me that. You know I have business. Business I'm assuming you found out about the same time I did"

"The greybeards told me you came to visit about a month before I did. They also told me you hadn't been working that hard and weren't as advanced as me"

"Yeah well I was busy trying to help the incredibly oppressed people of this province. You haven't exactly been helping. Besides we both know you were only 'working hard' because you wanted to get more powerful" she said this heatedly. He smirked

"I can't say that wasn't a factor" he said with a grin. She made a very disapproving sound

"You're despicable"

"So are you, deep down"

"Don't remind me" finally Mercer spoke up.

"Does anybody want to explain this to me?" Lana rolled her eyes.

"I would've thought it was obvious. He's my brother. The two of us grew up in the guild. He stayed. I didn't." She turned back to Luke.

"Like I was telling him. I don't consort with dirty thieves" she turned and left,resigned to asking a member she hopefully would find in the ragged flagon on her way out. She stopped by a man sitting at a table and said

"I need a favor. Have you heard if or seen an amulet. It would have a swirly silver pendant with an amethyst in the center?"

"Oh you mean this?" She heard Luke ask from the table over. She looked over to see him holding the exact amulet she had just described.

"Give it to me. I just need it for like...a month"

"Sure, you can keep it." He said,tossing it to her

"It's worth just about as much as a normal silver and amethyst necklace. And by that I mean it's fake" she looked at it in despair

"No this is it. A swirly silver pendant with an amethyst." She said desperately. He chuckled and walked over to her. He took it from her grasp and put it around his neck.

"So your saying everyone in this room can trust me? Because I'm definitely not being scalded right now. I gave this to you because I'm assuming you need it to prove to someone that your trustworthy. If you take the fake one it won't burn you and they'll trust you again."

"You're insane. I'm not going to prove that she can trust me by lying to her! And what if she finds out? Then there won't be anything I can do to get her to trust me!" He grinned widely and whipped out a map of Skyrim

"I was hoping you'd say that. The real one is in Markarth. And we need to get it. I could use your help with this, if you do I'll tell the guy who hired me to get it that there are complications and it'll take an extra month". By this time he was leaned over the table, completely engrossed in his plans. Lana listened with one ear as she observed the other people in the guild. She noticed disgustedly that most of the women kept sneaking glances at her brother. And some were just shamelessly checking him out. 'Ick' she thought. Luke had always been a womanizer but just... Ew

"Lana?" She heard Luke ask quietly.

"Huh? Oh right. Yeah Markarth. Good." She said quickly. He laughed

"After all this time your attention span is still equivalent to that of a fly" Luke said, amused. That was when she heard the accented voice of his best friend Jack. Speaking of womanizer's...

"She was zoned out thinking about me. Weren't you love?" She laughed.

"Hi Jack. And no I wasn't actually."

"Well let me ask you this. Do you find me attractive?" He asked smirking. He always flirted with her, since they were 14. Luke always joked about how she was definitely going to get knocked up by Jack. But they all knew if that ever happened Luke would murder him. Possibly quite literally.

"Yes" she answered him without batting an eye. Both men looked at her in complete surprise. She smirked at their surprise.

"What? I'm saying you're attractive. I'm not saying I'm in love with you and wanna have 10 million of your babies" she said chuckling. Jack walked over to her and threw his arm carelessly around her shoulders. He put his lips about half a centimeter from her ear and whispered

"Baby steps, love. It's the small victories that count". Lana shivered slightly at his close proximity and he pulled his head back

"And don't think I didn't notice your little shiver". She groaned in irritation. 'Of all the people Luke could've chosen to be friends with...' She looked over and saw Luke looking at them with a facial expression that seemed as though he was half way between laughing and killing them both. Luke sighed and said

"Alright well if we're done with Jack and his distractions-"

"I am distracting aren't I?"

"-then we can get back to this break in. Now, as far as everyone knows, the treasury room has entrances here and here. Both heavily guarded. But, I was in an inn in-"

"Did you say 'in' enough times in that sentence?"

"-Rorikstead and I found this book. It details a passage that goes from the mine in Markarth straight into the treasury room. Unfortunately it's now supposedly filled with bandits and all manner of monsters. But if we get passed that then it's just a matter of navigating the treasury room. Which is near impossible for any regular thief. But for three of the best? I think we'll manage. Any questions?" Luke finished. Jack raised his hand.

"Will there be potty breaks or should we go before we enter the mine?" Luke rolled his eyes and laughed while Lana just rolled her eyes.


End file.
